The invention relates to the deployment of oceanographic equipment or instruments and, in particular, to systems for supporting instrument arrays horizontally at particular ocean levels.
In oceanography and ocean engineering projects, arrays of instrument or equipment are deployed at particular depths and, as the occasion demands, moved from one depth location to another. The term `depth`, as presently used, is intended to designate a particular sub-surface ocean level. In practice when only one or two instruments are to be deployed, the support for the instruments usually presents no particular problem. However, difficulties arise when the operation calls for the deployment of relatively long, horizontal arrays, such, perhaps, as a series of instruments all of which are to be held horizontally at a particular depth and all of which, in operation, are to be moved as a unit to another depth location. If, for example, the array is strung on a horizontal line, the problem is one of securely supporting the ends of the line at the desired depth and of maintaining the set position especially when subjected to heavy underwater currents. In fact, as far as is known, there has been no simple, economical and effective system for supporting these long arrays.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a simple, reliable support system for these long, horizontal arrays as well as other types of arrays or, if desired, single instruments. Related objects are to assure that the array is held in its desired location and to provide a capability of moving the array as a unit during operation.